Loyal volunteers keep coming back to help at Folk Fest

It’s no surprise that Folk Fest draws a lot of repeat volunteers. People of all ages are drawn to the opportunity because, as much as they give to the festival, it gives back.

Gordon Holt has been volunteering at Folk Fest for 18 years now — even his wife and two daughters have signed up.

Holt and his team work before and after the festival, driving John Deere Gators, which haul everything from people to equipment for the set up and the tear down.

Though the work is hard — Holt notes that the job has to get done, despite the heavy lifting and weather conditions, which, in classic Albertan fashion, can range from 33C and dusty to single-digits and stormy — there’s a sense of satisfaction in being a part of the festival.

“Really, I think the reason to do it is because it’s a lot of fun. You create something; you’re on the site with all your friends building a small city, really — there can be about 20,000 people on the site,” says Holt.

Aside from the contentment found in a job well done, volunteers also have free access to the festival grounds, catering and the after party that some of the bands put on for volunteers after the festival, Holt says.

Volunteers also have an opportunity to be part of the traditional lantern procession, an awe-inspiring visual spectacle in which volunteers carry lanterns up to the main stage.

The now retired government worker has seen some big names both on the stage and behind it in his almost two decades of volunteering — Joan Baez and Van Morrison, to name a few backstage sightings; though volunteers are mostly encouraged to let the musicians do their thing unimpeded.

Holt’s crew, which he took over from his friend who originally ran it, is mostly comprised of teachers and professors — they usually have the summers off, he explains.

While his is a relatively old one, Holt notes that there are crews that draw a younger crowd — though he admits to wanting some of this young blood to help with the heavy lifting.

There’s a place for everyone at Folk Fest. Doctors can volunteer at the medical tents; media people can help spread the word, and people with specific trade skills can help put everything together — and many people who help out one year will come back the next.

“You could be riding in a Gator with the CEO of a company — we’re all equal on the site; it’s the great leveller,” says Holt.

“The guy that’s the boss might be the least-paid member of the team, but he’s the one in charge.”